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by Tcheu
Summary: 'You have your mother's eyes'. (...) The last words of the potion's teacher were running through his mind, over and over. Now he had seen Snape's memories, he felt bad. (...) He suddenly sat on his bed. He knew what he had to do. He packed some stuff, wrote a note to Hermione and Ron, and disapparited. - Rating T to be safe beacuse I'm paranoid. More warnings inside.
1. Chapter 1

_**This is my second fic in english. The first one was a BBC Sherlock called **_**'not really my area'****_ (it's there on fanfictionDOTnet , have a look on my profile!)._**

_**I thought about this one while re-watching the last movie. Although I am a huge fan of the books, the dialogs you'll find here will most probably be from the movies, as it is easier to look for dialogs in a video than in books, and I'm a little lazy ^^**_

_**This will mostly be a Harry/Snape fic, but no graphic sex, I promise. So even if it's not your OTP, you may like it. Actually, it's not my OTP either. Well, thinking about it, I don't believe any pairing has my preference in this fandom. I respect the choices JK Rowling made (apart from the '19 years later' thing that I consider non-canon, but let's not debate here). The pairings I read or write mostly rely on my mood.**_

_**If you're a recurring reader, first of all I'd like to thank you, but I'd like also to point out that you may notice some changes, especially in the spelling, as I've received some comments about it. A BIG THANKS to everyone who takes the time to correct me - and more particularly to **_**Serpent91**_** on this chapter.**_

_**Okay, enough said, hope you enjoy it !**_

* * *

_'You have your mother's eyes'_

Those were the last words of Severus Snape. The last words of this man Harry had hated all his life.

Now, all was over. Voldemort had been defeated, and the wizarding world was slowly rebuilding itself. All his friends had gone back to Hogwarts, but Harry didn't. He didn't really know what he wanted to do. He needed some time. Some time to think, some time to put distance between himself and all the events that had happened those last years.

The last words of the potion's teacher were running through his mind, over and over. Now that he had seen Snape's memories, he felt bad. He was remembering all those years of hate towards the man, all those words he had said. How he so fiercely defended his father's name, without knowing all he did. Snape was right, after all. His father _was_ a swine. The man never did anything special. He had been a bully, torturing the weak, and eventually 'stealing' Lily from the potion's master.

Laying on his bed, Harry rubbed his palms against his eyes. How could he have been so blind ? Everything was so clear now that he had all the pieces of the puzzle. He hated himself for not seeing it sooner. Maybe they could have avoided all of that. Well, not _all_ of it, as Voldemort would have come back, eventually.

He suddenly sat on his bed. He knew what he had to do. He packed some stuff, wrote a note to Hermione and Ron, and disapparated.

* * *

Harry popped up just in front of Hogwarts' main door. The rules had not changed, no-one was supposed to be able to do that, but being the world's new hero had some advantages.  
It was the middle of the night. Everything was quiet. You could hear the calm breeze passing through the leaves of the trees in the gardens, some owls hunting under the pale moon. The giantic door opened before him, and he entered the castle.  
He had not come here since the end of the war. Everything had been restored to the exact same way as when he first went to Hogwarts, back in his first year. The same impressive feeling of sentient power surrounded him as he climbed the steps to the headmaster's office.

He didn't need to give a password or to knock at the door, the magical entrance just opened for him.  
A few feet ahead, professor McGonagall was sitting in the big armchair, apparently absorbed in some work. Harry cleared his throat to get her attention. The old Lady looked up upon her glasses and gave him a surprised gaze. She stood up and greeted him, invited him to take a seat and offered him some tea.

'It's been a long time, Potter.' she said with a gentle smile.

'Yes ma'm.'

'I'm surprised to see you here. I guess you've come to ask me something. What is it you need ?'

'I, er... I need the time-turner.' he answered, trying to look sure of himself although he was still very impressed by his former teacher.

The old Lady stopped from sipping her tea and glanced at him very seriously.

'This is a big favour you're asking me there, Potter. You know the consequences of using that device.'

'Yes ma'm' he simply answered.

'What do you need it for, Potter ?'

'I can't tell you', he sighed. 'but I'm not going to do something stupid, if that's what you fear' he added.

She seemed to relax a little bit. 'I'm sure you won't', she said with a smile.

She stood up and went to a massive wooden locker, and after some rambling in the impressive quantity of shiny objects stuffed in it, she came back with the said object and handed it to the black-haired boy.

'You know the rules, Potter. Avoid meeting yourself. And don't take part in big events.'

'I know. Don't worry, I'll be careful. As I told you, I won't do anything stupid. I won't change anything that happened with Voldemort, if that's what you're scared of. I know it has to happen the way it had.'

She smiled once again. 'I trust you, Potter. May I ask, how far are you going to go ?'

Harry sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. 'Quite far, I suppose'.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Here comes chapter two! It's been a long time since I wrote something longer than a One-shot, I don't really know at what pace I'm supposed to publish. I have lots of ideas for this story at the moment, but I'm afraid that if I publish too quickly, there will be a bigger time gap between the last chapters. Let me know what you prefer. A daily update? Weekly?**_

_**I also want to thank all the people that favourited this story, it means a lot. Please feel free to review, so I know how I'm doing. **_

_**Hope you enjoy!**_

* * *

A few minutes later, Harry was in the room of requirement. He was surprised to see it was almost empty – after all, he would not be staying for long and didn't require anything special – apart from a big black board right in front of him, a piece of chalk floating between them.  
Harry put the chain of the time-turner around his neck, and began to turn the rowels. The chalk went instantly to the black board, counting the turns for him.

'Good' he thought. 'I have dozens of thousands of turns to do, I can use some help to count them'.

And so he turned the golden rowels, endlessly. After thirty minutes, his fingers began to ache, but he couldn't stop. He knew he had to go on relentlessly for hours, if he wanted to go as far as he planned to. Suddenly, some kind of shiny dust ran around his fingers, taking away the pain. Oh, yes, of course. This was the room of requirement. The room where anything could happen. He smiled at this idea, remembering the numerous times when de room had helped him.

* * *

About eight hours later, Harry finally stopped turning the little wheels and put the invisibility cloak on. A flash of seconds and memories later, he materialised in the Great Hall.

_'Bad move.'_ he thought, realising it was crowded with students having their lunch.

He carefully stepped back in a corner, and looked at the picture before him.  
Students of all ages were eating and speaking and walking around. On the other end of the room, several teatchers were quietly sitting, keeping an aye on the young wizards. If his calculations were right, it was now the beginning of his own second year at school. Curious, he looked towards the Griffindor's table.

There he was, his 12-years old self, sitting with Ron and Hemione. He felt guilty not to be able to go and tell himself what was about to come. The Chamber of Secrets in several months, the re-ascension of Lord Voldermort, the pain, the losses. But there was nothing he could do about it. Nothing he had the right to do.

He looked again towards the teacher's table. Gilderoy Lockhart was here, showing off as usual, as well as professor Flitwick and professor McGonagall, looking mildly annoyed by their colleague.

_'Snape's not here, then. He might be in the dungeons, as usual'_ Harry thought.

Following a group of 15 years old Slytherins, Harry headed towards the potion's master room.

* * *

The man was in his office, apparently classifying a pile of veils filled with different shades of blue liquids. Okay, now Harry had to figure out how to make contact without being stunned with a curse. Uneasy task. He could probably just take off the cloak, but something in the back of his head was telling him it would not be a great idea. He had to be more subtle than that.

Careful not to be too close to the man, he whispered.

'Snape ?'

The slender wizard froze and looked around, nervously, his wand ready.

'Severus Snape ?' Harry tried again.

'Who's there ?' the teacher angrily replied. 'If it's a bad joke, I can assure you the punishment will be exemplary ! Show yourself !'

'Okay, calm down, I will show myself' Harry said, moving around the room so Snape couldn't locate him. 'But first, promise me you will not attack me. I mean you no harm.'

Snape slightly loosened the grip around his wand in sign of approval and nodded, eyes still moving quickly to try and find the intruder.

_'let's go, then...'_ Harry thought. He took the cloak off in a sharp move.

'Hello, Severus' he said on a calm tone.

The man lost his composure. He was clearly trying to understand what was happening. Young James Potter had just appeared in his office. Had he finally gone mad ? No, that was not James. This looked like Harry Potter, but... How come he looked older than this annoying 12 years old bitch ? His eyes went down to the chest of the young wizard, where the time-turner shined. Okay, that was older Potter, then. Much older Potter. But why ?

'Are you here to torment me, Potter ?' he asked angrily, raising his wand again.

'No. I guess you've figured out how far I'm coming from. It's obvious I wouldn't do that just to annoy you, isn't it ?'

'Maybe' Snape sighed, still not sure which attitude to adopt. 'What are you there for, then ?'

'I come back from the future. Lots have happened.' He stopped, trying to evaluate the quantity of information he could share. He resumed speaking: 'Voldemort will be back. Eventually, I will defeat him'. Snape shivered at the name, but didn't comment on it.

'What does this have to do with me ?'

'It has a lot to do with you, and you know it. After you... After some major events, you will share your memories with me. Some old and powerful memories'.

'I see.' the older man said, resigned. He dropped his wand on his desk and sat back in his chair, staring vacantly somewhere in the opposite corner of the room. 'So, you know about...'

'About my mum, yes.'

Snape stared at him, perplexed. 'It still does not explain why you're here, Potter'.

'I know the younger me hates you, and he will until... until you give him these memories. This will not happen before he is seventeen, this means a few months ago in my own timeline.'

'Go to the point, Potter'.

'I want to repair that. I want to be your friend. That's why I came back. I couldn't stand the idea of being such an asshole with you my entire life. I think it made you suffer, and now that I know what you endured all those years... I feel bad'.

'What if I don't want to be your friend, Potter ?' Severus asked with a somber grin.

'Well... That's a bit of a problem. I didn't think about that possibility.' Harry admitted. 'I guess I'll have to live my own life, far away from here, then. You can take your time to think about it, but... I will need somewhere to live until you reach a decision'.

'Does someone else knows ?' the potion's master asked.

'No. I left a note to Ron and Hermione in the future, and professor McGonagall is the one who gave me the time-tuner. But no-one knows in this timeline, apart from you'.

'I see.'

'So... ?' Harry asked, nervous.

'You can stay in the storeroom for now. But don't you _dare_ touch anything.'


	3. Chapter 3

Harry waited several days. Snape had his own bathroom and authorised him to use it, and even brought him food twice a day. It was merely bread and milk, but the young man was still surprised he did not need to ask for it. Finally, a Friday evening when the students had at last deserted the classrooms, Snape asked Harry to come in his office.

'This week has been... Eventful' he said, his dark eyes fixed on Harry's face.

'The Chamber of Secrets?'

'Yes. You can't stay away from trouble, as it seems' the slender man replied, waiting for more explanations.

'You know I can't tell you anything' Harry simply answered with a sorry face.

Snape sighed. 'Right.'

'So, uh...' he tried. 'What about... _us _?' He realised how awful the sentence sounded while he said it. But Snape's face seemed to soften a little.

'I guess you can stay. I have to admit I'm curious to see what will happen.' he paused. 'If we will end up trying to kill each other' he added with a soft grin.

Wait... a grin ? A _soft _grin ? Harry dropped his mouth open a few seconds, startled. That was new. New and quite unexpected.

'Is there a problem, Potter ?' the man asked with his serious face back again.

'No, huh, not at all. Hum... So... Maybe we should begin with calling each other by our first names... Severus ?'

'Indeed, Po... Harry.'

The silence surrounding them was heavy. This was definitely harder than expected. Well, Harry realised he had acted purely on instinct, without thinking further. That was what he had always done, in fact.

'Uh... This is weird, isn't it ?' he said with a nervous laugh.

Snape grinned again. He looked quite nervous as well.

'I can't let you live in the storeroom forever. You can move in my room, it's big enough for two people. I can't arrange for you to have a bedroom of your own, but I can manage to give you some privacy. I just need to conjure a bed and a few panels... Although transfiguration this is not really my speciality.'

'I can help with that !' Harry said, standing up as well. 'I'm not the dumb child I used to be, you know. I've learned a lot'.

* * *

The potion's master tipped a stone in the wall with his wand, and a door appeared in front of them. Behind it, Harry discovered a spacious one-room sort of flat. It looked very much like a bachelor's flat. Although it was clean, piles of books and unknown object were scattered all over the place.  
There was a big enchanted window replicating the outside sky, decorated with long dark green curtains. In a corner, a big wooden screen was hiding a king sized bed with grey and silver sheets. In another corner, a small kitchen and a pedestal table with only one chair, and the remains of what looked like half-eaten chicken. The young man couldn't repress a soft giggle.

'What ?' the older wizard asked.

'Oh, no, nothing, it's... It's nice. A bit, huh... Well, I always saw you as a very organised man, so...'

'Ah.'

He raised his wand, but Harry stopped him.

'No, that's okay. I mean, I don't mind. That's your place, I have nothing to say.'

'Fine. Does this corner suits you ?' he said, waving his wand and conjuring a quite rudimentary bed without awaiting the answer. The sheets were gold and red.

'It will do' Harry answered with a smile. 'And thanks for the colour.'

'I don't know the spell for the panels' Snape admitted, ignoring Harry's remark.

'A screen like yours is fine' he smiled, waving his wand and conjuring a replica of the one next to Snape's bed.

'Goodnight then, P... Harry.'

'Goodnight, Severus.'

* * *

Laying on his bed, Harry couldn't find sleep. Apparently, neither could Snape, but the situation was strange enough to try to engage in conversation. Things were not going to be easy, for sure. Harry sat on his bed and opened the Marauder's map. _'lumos' _he whispered. _'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good'_ he added. The map revealed its content. No one was in the corridors this late, so he looked at the Griffindor's bedrooms. His younger self was apprently sleeping, and so were Ron ad Hermione. He unfolded the map a bit more to have a look at the dungeons. _'Hah'_ he said, seeing his own name once again. _'I guess I'll have to find another place to stay next year, or this will provoke a horrible mess'._

He carefully folded the map and put it back in his bag. He layed back on his bed, hands behind his head, eyes fixed on the ceiling, and finally fell asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

_**For now, it's been a daily update, but it may take a little bit longer in the future, so I apologise in advance. **_

_**I want to thank you all, viewers, reviewers, favoriters (does this word even exist?). It really means a lot. I've never had so much followers with my previous fanfics, it is quite a shock for me, and I have to admit it puts some pression on my shoulders, I don't want to disappoint you!**_

_**I still don't know where I want to go with this fic', but I'll do my best to keep it good until the end.**_

_**Hope you enjoy!**_

* * *

As the weeks passed, things settled. Harry was getting used to this new way of life. Most of the time, he was reading, catching up with the potions lessons he had neglected for so long. The private collection of books of Snape was incredible, and the man eventually allowed Harry to practice in his private laboratory, as long as he would replace the ingredients he used.

The young man also started to study further black magic. Not that he intended to use it, but it was fascinating. He was truly impressed by the creativeness of some of curses, far more dangerous and powerful than the ones he had studied within the boundaries of the _Defence Against the Dark Arts_ class. He could perfectly understand why young Snape had been so appealed by this kind of magic. The more he learnt, the more powerful he felt. He could see how easy it was to cross the tenuous line between simple knowledge and practice. As Harry was learning more and more about his new friend, his former fears vanished, replaced by compassion. The two men could now talk for several hours and successfully avoid the awkward silences. When Snape passed the door of the room in the evening, he was no longer grumpy. He kept his mask of hate towards the mischievous trio, of course, but dropped it every night when he was back with older Harry.

And then came the Filibuster firework day. Harry was quietly reading in his corner of the room, when he heard the noise coming from the classroom. _'Polyjuice time !' _he thought with a smile, that quickly vanished when he realised Severus would probably still be furious at the end of the day.

He was right. When the wizard came back around six o'clock, he was fuminating.

'POTTER !' he shouted when the door closed behind him. He ran towards the spot where Harry was sitting, and grabbed him by his shoulders.

'I KNOW YOU DID THAT !' he spat.

'Ok, huh, calm down, please...' Harry gasped.

Snape breathed heavily through his nose, grinding his teeth.

'Please, try to remember this _had _to happen, Severus'.

The man still looked furious, but loosened his grip a little.

'You three are a real pain in the ass.'

'I know. I'm sorry.'

Snape dropped his arms along his body. 'I'm tired, Harry.'

'Let's have a nice cuppa, okay ?' the younger man said, squeezing his arm to comfort him.

'I'll need something stronger than tea, I think' he replied with a weak smile.

'Works for me !' Harry smiled, heading towards the liquor cabinet. 'Try and relax, I'll take care of it'.

Snape obeyed and let himself fell on the sofa, kicking his heavy boots away. Harry was soon back with a bottle of firewhisky and two glasses. He filled both the glasses and handed one to his friend. 'A toast to...' Harry started. 'To, huh... You choose.'  
'Right. A toast to...' he began, looking into the young man's eyes. 'To Lily.' he finally said, eyes filling with tears. Harry gulped. It was the first time since he was there that Snape mentioned his mother.  
'To Lily' he repeated with a husky voice. They both drained their glasses without stopping and refilled them. Harry felt the burning in his throat, and a tear dropping on his cheek. He looked at the man next to him. His face was flooded with tears, but Harry was sure the alcohol had a minor part in it. Strenghten by the brew, he gently layed his arm on Snape's shoulder who, to his astonishement, buried his face in his shoulder and began to cry loudly, hugging him as hard as he could. Harry remained silent, and waited until he calmed down, softly caressing his arm. After a moment, the older man sat back in the sofa and slowly regained composure. 'Sorry. And thank you', he murmured.

'That's what friends are meant for, Severus. You don't have to apologise', Harry smiled.

After a second round of drinks, the atmosphere changed to a more joyful one. After a third, the bottle was empty and they were both lying half-dead across the sofa in a messy pile of arms and legs, laughing at each other's state.

'I'm happy you're here, Harry' Snape said with a broken voice.

'Yeah, me too.'

'I was not, when you popped into my office. But now I am.'

'I was scared, you know. You've always impressed me' Harry confessed.

'I hope so. I work hard on it'.

They giggled.

'I'm trying to imagine my younger self's reaction if he could see us right now. I think he would faint or something' Harry chuckled.

'_Anyone_ would. Imagine Dumbledore's reaction ?'

They went silent for a few seconds, then burst into laughter.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Thank you all for your comments ! It's overwhelming. **_

_**Okay, I decided to dedicate a few lines before each chapter to answer your questions/remarks. I don't like the 'private message' system, I think it should benefit everyone.**_

_**Ceti H. Black said : **_**A giggling snape is a bit OOC.**

_**My answer : **_**Yes and... no. It would be OOC in the books, because Snape is lonely, angry, broken. But here, he's got a friend. And it's not just a simple friend, it's Lily's son. Why was Snape so full of hate and regrets ? Because he failed to protect Lily. So he took away his feelings, which were the only weakness he had, the only thing that would make him suffer, and buried them between these walls of anger. But now, things have changed. Older Harry is not the arrogant twat he used to be. He's not an unsefferable teenager blindly devoted to his father anymore. He's a grown-up man who brings joy to snape, because he's at last the rock on which the man can grasp.**

_**At least those are my feelings :)**_

* * *

Several more weeks passed, and it was soon Christmas time. Students were packing to go back in their families, and Harry took advantage of this agitation to put his invisibility cloak on and take the One-eyed Witch passage to go to Hogsmeade and buy a present for Severus. He was half-way in the tunnel to Honeydukes, when he heard voices behind him. He froze, trying to remain as still and quiet and possible, and saw with horror the fourteen-years old Weasley twins approach. They had the Marauder's map. He was trapped.

They stopped just next to his spot, and George asked aloud 'Harry ? Come on, show yourself. We know you're here'.

'Yeah, Harry, come on !' Fred added.

Reluctantly, Harry complied. He really had no choice. Besides, he realised that he had been there for weeks, and the brothers had probably already seen him appear twice at the same time on the map, mostly in the dungeons, and that was more than suspicious.

'Hey, you're older now !' George said on a jolly tone.

'Yeah, and there's two of you' Fred added, shaking the map under his nose.

'Well, there's too of us too, Freddie'

'Yeah allright, but I don't spend time doing Merlin-knows-what with Snape the bat ! Do you?'

'Nah, I don't. But I know who does !'

They both turned towards Harry and began to sing some kind of obscene ode involving black-haired-wizards-with-lightning-bolt-scars, bats, and an awful lot of broomsticks.

'Guys !' Harry tried.

They began to dance awkwardly, still singing.

'GUYS !' Harry shouted.

They calmed down a little bu kept humming the tone, chuckling.

'Guys, please, this is important.'

'Yeah okay. What's happening ?' Fred asked, trying to remain serious for a while, a large smile still across his face.

'I'm an older Harry, from the future'

'Wicked !' Fred exclaimed.'

What are you doing here ?' George questionned.

'I... I have important stuff to do. I can't say more'.

'Yeaaaah, I see...' Fred said, grinning again.

'Important stuff to do with _Batty_ ' George added, with a wide smile.

'Listen, guys. This is very important.' Harry said, trying to ignore their implications. 'No-one can know. There will be a lot of stuff happening in the next years, but I can't take part in it. I have to stay hidden until I cross my own timeline again. Promise me you will keep this a secret.' he pleaded. For a short while, the brothers looked at each other very seriously, and then turned to Harry, hand on the heart.

'Cross my heart, hope to die...' Fred started.  
'...Stick a beetle in my eye' George ended.

'Thank you very much' Harry said, relieved.

'Now that we're in the secret, can we see you again ?' Fred asked.

'Oh yeaaaaaassss, please !' George added. 'You probably know loads of secrets about Hogwarts !'

'Hum... Okay. But remeber there is some stuff I can't tell you, right?'

'Right-o !' they both answered at the same time.

_'Interesting loop. I'm going to help them doing crazy stuff they will then teach the younger me...' _Harry thought, amused. 'And... For your information, I am NOT '_dancing the hulala on Batty's big broom' _' Harry added, slightly upset. The brothers laughed once again.

'Now you're here, can I ask you a favour ?' Harry asked.

'Yeah, of course, what ?' George said.

'I want to buy a Christmas present. Can you come with me and buy it for me ? Being invisible makes it a bit difficult to do it by myself, you see.'

'A Christmas present for Battyyyyyyy !' Fred squealed. Harry crossed his arms, an angry look on his face.

'Okay. Okay.' Fred said.

'But everything has a price, right ?' George added.

Harry smiled and handed them a huge pouch of Galleons. 'There must be enough in this to buy both my present and all you can possibly imagine from Zonko's'.

The eyes of the brothers widened at the sight of the impressive amount of gold.

'Awesome !' they both exclaimed.

A few hours later, Harry was back in the dungeons with his gift for Severus. He had chosen a medium-sized golden cauldron, a collapsible one, and several rare ingredients he knew were missing from Severeus' supplies. He conjured some wrapping paper and hid the whole under his bed.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Hi guys ! Thanks to all of you for still being there, and welcome to the new readers :)**_

_**I know this chapter is a little bit short, but I promise the next one will be longer.**_

_**Note: I just realised I classified my story into 'Friendship'. I changed that for 'Romance'. It doesn't mean there's gonna be any graphic lemon, but maybe some fluff. I swear it was not really my intention when I began, but my characters kind of have a life of their own, now...**_

_**Enjoy !**_

* * *

On Christmas morning, Harry was awoken by the nice smell of mulled mead and frehly-baked pudding. He opened his eyes on a bright and decorated room, magical red and green candles floating above him. He stretched, put a dressing gown, and joined a flour-covered Snape in the kitchen.

'You _baked _?' He asked, impressed.

'Oh, uh... I tried. But if it's awful, I'll steal another pudding from the kitchens' he said, waving his wand in order to clean the mess on his robes.

Harry laughed and took a bite of the pudding. It was quite good, actually. He sat on the couch with a big mug of mulled mead, and invited Snape to join him.

'I have a present for you.' he said when the older man sat next to him, sipping his own mead. 'Accio gift' he added, too lazy to go and pick it up by himself. He gave the bright red packet to his friend. The man fished in his pocket and handed him a small golden-wrapped gift in return. They looked briefly at each other, and opened their presents at the same time, eager to know what was inside.

'Holy sh...' Severus exclaimed, unveiling the brand-new cauldron. 'That's exactly what I needed ! And... Acromantula venom ? Re'em blood ?! Where did you find that ?!' he asked, eyes sparkling with an amazement Harry had never seen before.

'I know people' He simply answered, remembering with delight the look of horror on Mundungus' face when the ingredients had disappeared right under his nose.

'Thank you. That's truly amazing.'

'You're welcome' Harry smiled, staring back at his own present. It was a small leather bracelet, with an amber pendant the size of a Knut.

'I made it myself.' Snape answered to harry's unspoken question. 'Long ago. It was supposed to be for Lily, but... I never had the chance to give her. So, I thought you deserved to have it. Look closely at the amber'

Harry obeyed, and discovered that the honey-coloured stone was enclosing a small five-leaf clover.

'It grows only in the far North of Ireland' Snape explained. 'And I added a luck charm, although it was a long time ago, I'm not really sure it is very effective.'

'Woaw. That... That means a lot. Thank you.'

Harry attempted to attach the trinket to his left wrist.

'Let me help you' Snape said, smiling at his lack of skill. During the few second when his friend tipped around his wrist to knot the leather lace, Harry felt a curious thing pop somewhere in his stomach. He looked at the man's face, absorbed in his labor. His features were nothing like a few months before. He had not changed, not really, but Harry saw him differently now that he knew the man. He could see the kindness behind the furrowed brows, the sadness in the coal-black eyes.

'Harry, are you allright ?' the deep voice asked.

The young man blinked and realised that the bracelet had been attached to his wrist for probably several seconds, by the intriged look on Severus' face.

'You can drop your arm now I'm done, you know'.

'Oh, er, yeah, sorry... 'thinking.' Harry said quickly, taking a mouthful of pudding to avoid further explanations.

The next days passed on a cheerful atmosphere. They played a lot of chess, ate and drank a too much of Christmas delights, and above all, spent hours laughing about Hermione's cat-face misadventure.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Updates will take a little more longer this week, as I have a guest at the moment and not much time to write. You'll have next chapter by the en of the week... Sorry for the inconvenience!**_

_**And once again, thanks ALOT for your reviews. Don't hesistate to ask me anything or to make suggestions :)**_

_**And more importantly: ENJOY!**_

* * *

One day, as winter was slowly coming to an end, Harry suddenly asked, out of nowhere : 'Could you teach me Occlumency ?'  
Snape raised an eyebrow, surprised.

'That's a very difficult branch of magic to master, you know' he answered.

'Oh, believe me, I know' Harry sighed. 'I've already tried to learn it, but I was not a very serious student'.

'Who was your teacher ?' Snape asked, curious.

'Oh, uh...' Harry hesitated. 'It was you.'

'Ah. So, this means I'm going to have to try to teach it to your dumm-head doppleganger at some point.'

'I'm afraid so.' Harry said with a sorry face.

'Fantastic.',Snape simply said with a somber grin.

'But now I'm willing to learn !' the young man added on a cheerful tone. 'I promise I will do my best.'

'I guess it's worth trying, then' Snape replied, his features softening a little. 'What do you know about Occlumency ?' he asked.

'Well, huh... I know it's kind of the opposite of Legilimency, which is used to read minds. Occlumency is used to protect oneself's mind against intrusions. And it requires a lot of will to use it properly.

'That's right. You have to be able to empty your soul from emotions. Or at least bury them as deep as you can. This is the first form of Occlumency : being able to _hide_ your thoughts. To literally blank your mind. But with a lot of pratice and patience, you can also learn to _lie_ with your mind. To let people read false informations. This is the most advanced form of Occlumency.' he stopped a moment, thinking. 'In order to understand how Occlumency works, you first have to learn how Legilimency does.' he concluded.

'How do I do that ?' Harry asked.

The older wizard rummaged around in several of the piles of books scattered around the room, and with a triumphant 'Hah !', finally put a very old and heavy tome in Harry's hands.

'Read that.' Snape said. 'You will find everyhting you need to know. It may sound boring, but practicing will be a lot more easier if you understand the mechanics of this art. This book does not only teaches the theorics, it's also a very good introduction to self mind-control.'

'Like... yoga ?' Harry asked.

'What ?' Snape croaked, perplexed.

'Yoga. It is a muggle method of relaxation, where you learn to control your own body and soul'

'Oh, right. Well, if you want, it's like... _Yowgeh_.' Snape said with a grimace on the last word.

The young man repressed a laugh and sat on his bed, carefully opening the huge book on his lap.

* * *

It only took Harry a week of intense reading to finish the book. He devoured it from cover to cover, eager to begin practicing as soon as possible. Although he didn't realise it, the reading had slightly changed his way of thinking. He didn't notice, for example, that he was no longer failing to fell asleep as soon as he decided to. Neither did he notice that he needed less time to think when he was asked something, and could answer much more quickly. He was ready for his first lesson.

'A few more things before we begin' Snape said, his eyes already drilling into Harry's. 'This requires a lot of energy. A good Occlumens is able to constanty hide his thoughts, but he needs to be perpetually focused. It takes months, even years to get to that result.'

Harry nodded, keeping eye contact.

'Occlumency is a branch of wandless and unspoken magic. That's why it is so difficult to learn : the wizard has to dig into his own resources. Eventually, a good Occlumens his able to notice when someone tries to force into his thoughts and which informations the intruder is looking for, and to decide how to shield them in consequence.'

'Understood.' Harry said.

'Alright. First, I'm going to penetrate your mind. Try to empty it from all emotions. It's like the short instant when you fall asleep, when your brain shuts down.'

'Can I close my eyes ?' Harry asked.

'You can for now, if you want'.

The young wizard closed his eyes and tried to relax the tension in his body. Breathe in, breathe out. Suddenly, a kind of tingling wrapped around his brain, and then vanished as quickly as it had appeared. Harry shuddered.

'Forget the body' the slender wizard said. 'Focus on the mind. Let's try again'.

The exercise was exhausting. After only half an hour, the young man's energy was completely drained off. He crashed on the sofa, panting.

'It's like if my brain hurts from the inside' he said, trying to focus his blurry vision.

'That's normal. You're doing quite well for a first try. You have to be patient.'

'I know... But it's frustrating. How come you are so good at it ?'

Snape sat next to him. 'I've trained for years, since I was eleven' he explained. 'A child's mind learns faster. I've been practicing everyday since, that helps a lot'.

'What about Legilimency, then ?' Harry asked. 'Is it as difficult ?'

'No. I'd say it's easier.'

'Why can't I learn that, first ?'

'The good Gryffindor, invading mind privacy ?' Snape grinned.

'I'm a warrior, now, not just a stupid Gryffindor' Harry breathed between his teeth, slightly upset.

'Even the Dark Lo... You-Know-Who can't penetrate my mind, I guess I can let you try' Snape said, still grinning.

Harry spent the next hour trying to penetrate his friend's mind, unsuccessfully.

'I'm never gonna do it.' he whined, resigned.

'Be patient. I'm sure you will. We'll keep practicing everyday, and you'll see, you'll improve.'

He glanced gently at the broken down young man on his side. 'But for now, you need to rest' he said, kindly ruffling his hair.


	8. Chapter 8

_**I feel like I'm going to receive lots of comments for this chapter telling me that 'AAAAH NAAAH SNAPE IS COMPLETELY OOC !'. So, let me repeat that no, he's not ! I already gave my opinion about that in chapter 5. The point is : I'm writing a fiction, and my characters are evolving. Also, don't forget that I tend to use quite a lot of ellipsis ! Harry has been there for at least 8 months now. The fact that I don't describe precisely every day of every week doesn't mean nothing happens. 8 months is more than they need to be close friends by now ! ;)**_

_**Also, there may be some kissing soon... Do you think it's too early ?**_

_**And OHMYGOD GUYS almost 5000 views ! You're so amazing, thank you ! Where the hell do you all come from ? **_

_**I mean, seriously ?**_

* * *

They kept up practicing Occlumency and Legilimency. By the end of April, Harry had progressed a lot. He could now shield his thoughts enough so they'd appear blurry for anyone who would try to read them, and even if he was still not able to access Snape's mind, he learnt how to introduce his own thoughts in someone else's, as some kind of dream. As time passed, it became a game between them. Harry would try to pop-up things in Snape's head when he was teaching in order to distrub him. It was like hearing a background noise or loosing one's focus on a passing fly, and snape would have to concentrate not to laugh when Harry would make dancing Unicorns or singing Billiwigs suddenly appear in his brain.

Snape was no longer asking Harry about all the weird stuff that was happening in the castle. He even hardly mentioned the abduction of Ginny Weasley. As their friendship grew, the next months passed very quickly, and soon, it was the end of the school year.

'What do you do, during the summer holidays ?' Harry asked on a saturday afternnon whilst they ware playing chess, quietly sipping butterbeer.

'I mostly stay here and study' Snape answered, destroying his queen with a tower.

'You're going to beat me again' Harry sighed, staring desperatly at the board.

'That's not my fault if your defense is always crap' the man laughed.

'I know... Anyways, don't you ever leave the castle ? Even in the summer ?' Harry asked.

'To go where ? Hogwarts is my home now. Besides, Albus wants to keep an eye on me'.

'Ah'.

'Talking about that, he might come here once or twice during the summer, you'd better be careful'

'mmh... 'kay' Harry said, focused on finding a way to save his king from an imminent death.

'Checkmate !' Severus yelped when his queen finally decapitated the poor defenseless king. 'and you, do you have any plans for this summer ?'

'No. I did not think that far, when I used the time-turner. I just used it, ended up here, and hoped for the best.' he admitted.

'Never think twice, forever the Potter's motto' snape chuckled.

'Ahhh, shut up !' Harry yelped with a feint angry look, throwing the remains of his king at the other end of the board.

'Don't play this kind of games with me !' the pale man answered, amused, throwing back one of his own pieces.

'Oh, yeah ?'

Harry jumped on his feet. 'Oppugno !' he casted. A cushion flew away from the sofa right into Severus' face, who fell from his chair with squeal. 'Finite Incantatem !' he added, panicked, when he realised the piece of furniture was trying to suffocate him. 'Sorry, are you alright ?' he enquired, moving a step closer to his victim. He didn't have time to check, as the wizard flinged the cushion back at him. 'Protego !' Harry shouted, causing the poor thing to explode mid-air in a deluge of feathers.

'I almost got you, even without magic !' Snape laughed, rising on his feet.

'Almost !' Harry grinned, dashing towards his bed to grab his pillow and carry on with the fight. The older man did the same, and twenty minutes later, they collapsed on the floor, laughing maniacally at the fluffy cataclysm around them.

'I think I never had so much fun' Snape articulated, trying to catch his breath.

'Yeah, and the _muggle_'s way' Harry added, equally breathless.

'I'm doomed !' Snape squealed on a humorous tone. 'I hope you don't expect us to clean the muggle's way as well' he added, staring at the mess they had made.

'No, it would take, like, _months _!' Harry laughed.

Snape reduced the distance between them and put his arms around him, stroking his hair gently.

'I't's really nice to have you here.' he said with a soft voice.

Harry gulped. The annoying feeling in his stomach was back, more powerful than the first time. Heat was spreading across his body from the contact of his friend's hand in his hair. The feeling was nice, but... Odd. Definitely odd. He closed his eyes, trying to numb his body reactions.

'You're quivering' Snape stated. Harry remained silent, fighting the urge to run away.

'Are you okay ?' Snape asked, concerned.

'Yeah, I'm alright' Harry breathed, grinding his teeth.

'Are you sure ? Your pulse is shaky'.

'It... It's the pillow fight.'

'Okay.'

He pulled the young man closer, ambracing him against his chest. Suddenly, someone knocked at Snape's office's door. The two men jumped and looked at each other, startled.

'Cloak !' Snape ordered.

Harry obeyed and mentally gave his friend the green light to open the door. His mask of seriousness back on his face, Snape complied.


	9. Chapter 9

**_Sorry for the long wait, I almost lost my data -_-_**

**_Anyway, here it is!_**

* * *

_In the previous Chapter:_

_He pulled the young man closer, ambracing him against his chest. Suddenly, someone knocked at Snape's office's door. The two men jumped and looked at each other, startled._

_'Cloak !' Snape ordered._

_Harry obeyed and mentally gave his friend the green light to open the door. His mask of seriousness back on his face, Snape complied._

* * *

Behind the door were two grinning red-head boys.

'What a wonderful surprise.' Snape said, cold as ice.

'Hello, professor' George said.

'We want to see Harry' Fred added.

Snape blinked._'What the hell ?' _he thought.

'What are you two babbling about ?' he asked angrily.

They looked at each other, trying to find a satisfying answer. Harry decided it was time to rescue them, and took off his invisibility cloak.

'That's okay' he answered to Snape's shocked face, 'they know.'

'Can you clarify ?' the older wizard asked, still chocked.

'I completely forgot to tell you about that' Harry said. 'I'm so sorry. They caught me when I was going to Hogsmeade to buy your Christmas present' he explained.

'Wonderful.' Snape grumbled.

'Don't worry, Severus, they promised to hold their tongues'

'Severuuuuuuus !' Fred croaked, grinning at Harry.

'Be respectful !' Snape enjoined. 'I am still you teacher, and I can still punish you' he menaced.

They calmed down instantly.

'I'm going back to my... work' he finally said. 'You three can stay in my office'. He stepped back in the flat and slammed the door behind him.

_'Sorry, I should have told you earlier' _Harry mentally told him.

_'Don't worry, I'm not mad at you. I just had to keep up appearences' _the older wizard replied.

'Are you out of your minds ? What are you doing here ?!' Harry asked the twins.

'You told us we would see each other !' Fred began

'But you never showed !' George ended.

'Oh, right. Sorry guys, I've been quite busy.'

The twins glanced at each other, smiling wickedly.

'We've noticed' they winked.

'We were looking at the Marauder's map just before we came here' Fred added.

'Did we disrupt you _in the middle of somthing _?' George asked, insisting on the last part.

'What ? No !' Harry replied, more quickly than he intended to, blushing a little. _'Shut the fuck up, body !' _He mentally ordered to himself.

'Ohhhh, go on, Harry, you can tell us !' Fred insisted.

'No, I can't. Because there's nothing to tell.' Harry answered.

The twins glanced once again at each other. They obviously didn't believe him.

Harry sighed. 'Think whatever you want. I don't care' he finally said, trying to shut down the annoying inner voice repeating him that it was a lie, and that yes, he cared, more than he was willing to admit.

'Did you kiss ?!' George asked, eyes sparkling maliciously. 'Because, well, according to the map, you were _really _close...'

'What ?! Of course not !' Harry choked

'Did you hug, then ?' Fred asked, as shamelessly curious as his brother.

'Of course n...' Harry began. 'Oh damn, well...'

'Awwwww ! ' the twins squealed.

'And 'EWW' !' Fred added with a grimace.

'Yeah !' George added. 'Ew ! How is that even possible ?! He's like...'

'… Ew !' both exclaimed at the same time.

'So, minutes ago you were like, over-excited about the whole thing, and now you're disgusted ?!'

'Imagining is not he same' Fred said.

'Yeah, Now you tell us you actually _snogged_ Sn-'

'I didn't _snog _him for Merlin's snake !' Harry shouted, losing his temper. 'It was a hug, a friendly hug, because _YES_, he's my friend. God, what is wrong with you two ?'

'Still, you're working hard on your defense, for an innocent' George chuckled.

'I. am. not. amused.' Harry stated. 'Can we please talk about something else ? Or I'm kicking you out'.

They hushed, obviously disappointed, but agreed nevertheless.


	10. Chapter 10

**_Sorry I let you wait for so long, I just want all the chapters to be equally good, and it's taking me a lot of effort. Even if I don't publish as often as I did in the beginning, I promise you I will wite many more chapters, I've not decided yet when to finish this story, but it may be in a VERY LONG TIME. _**  
**_Also, special thanks to _Bootsrcool_ for his/her numerous comments in the past few days. I don't know who you are, but I already love you :)_**

* * *

'You seemed nervous' the low-tone voice greeted him from the sofa, when he passed the door after the twins had left.

'Er, what ?'

'Your thoughts, when you were talking with them. They were... messy.'

'You sneaked into my mind ?!' Harry scoffed

'No, huh, I just... I was a bit curious. I could hear them being all excited, I just took a quick look...'

'Not much for my privacy, thanks.' Harry bitterly replied.

'Look, I'm sorry. I promise, I just looked at the feelings, I didn't search for your exact thoughts.'

'I think that's actually... worse.' Harry sighed. 'What did you see?'

'That you were talking about me.'

'And ?' The young man asked, feeling more and more nervous.

'I'm not sure.'

Harry narrowed his eyes, trying to know if his friend was lying. Why would he lie anyway ? Severus was not the kind of man to be at loss for words. He was the kind of man to speak his mind, sometimes a little abruptly. Was he just giving Harry a chance to avoid the subject ? But again, why would he do that... ? Harry rubbed his forehead and sighed. Telling the truth was definitely the best thing to do.

'They were implying that... That we... Huh...' he began, trying to find the proper words. 'That we are more than _just_ friends' he finally said. 'It made me feel... Er... Incomfortable'.

'Oh. Why did you feel that way ?'

Harry blushed violently. _Oh God_. And now the annoying feeeling was definitely back in his stomach.

'Well, because... I don't know, because... I've been having this odd sensation in my guts when you... When I look at you, and, hum... '

'Oh.' Snape repeated. 'I see.'

'Do you, huh... I mean, we should talk about it, right ?' Harry said timidly, playing nervously with his sleeve.

'Yes.'

'I am freaking you out, aren't I ?' Harry quivered, not even trying to stop blushing anymore.

'Come here.' the older wizard simply replied, waving at the empty space next to him. It was not an order, more a request, and Harry nodded timidly as he sat beside him on the sofa. All his muscles were tense, his body completely stiff, palms on his knees, legs parallel and forming a perfect 90° angle with the floor, eyes firmly stuck to the wall. He nearly jumped when he felt a soft hand lay on the back of his neck, and the deep voice almost whisper 'look at me'. He breathed heavily and turned his head slowly to meet the coal-dark eyes. And then, in the split second of a blink, lips were pressed against his. He suddenly felt as his brain would explode. It just couldn't process what was happening. It was completely surreal.

Harry broke the kiss and blinked several times.

'Wait... Wha- what just happened ? ' He asked, startled.

'Does it really need saying ?' Snape replied, caressing his cheek with his free hand.

Harry stopped the hand softly, letting it rest in his palm.

'Uhm... I mean, I _know_ what just happened, I was here, I mean, Huh... But... _Why _? '

'You seemed to want it too' Severus calmly said, staring into the bright green eyes.

'I, er... Yeah, but...'

'Stop worrying, Harry. I'm not toying with you. I think we've passed that a long time ago – in another timeline, in fact' he said with a soft smile.

'I...' Harry began. He didn't know what to say or think. He indeed felt something for the older wizard, he had for several months now. Why did it suddenly felt so awkward, then ? There was n othing wrong, was it ? The age difference was clearly not a problem, they were both adults and even if Harry was still quite young in term of years, his experience as a 'war hero' was indubitably compensating.

'I...' he repeated, still trying to find something accurate to say.

Severus kept up smiling. 'You really have Lily's eyes' He whispered.

Oh, yeah. He just put his finger on it without even noticing. _That_ was the problem.

'You love her' Harry simply said.

'I always have' the slender wizard stated.

'I mean, it's all about her, isn't it ? I remind you of her. That's what it was about. You were kissing her, not me' Harry sighed. He was not angry, not even really disappointed. He was just a bit sad. Not for himself, but for his friend, for this inability to let it go.

'You're wrong, Harry. I loved her, I always have and always will, but she's gone now'. He gulped. 'long gone'.

'Are you sure you really got over it ? I mean, you never did in the other timeline'.

'As you said, it was another timeline, which no longer exists. I did get over it, and that's actually thanks to you. You know, you're the first person who ever really cared about me, for who I am. You didn't need to come back here, You didn't need to stay. But here you are. Let me say it again, this kiss was truely meant for you and no-one else'.

Harry smiled widely, butterflies all over his stomach, and tangled their fingers together. He leant forward to give the man another kiss, but abruptly stopped as he suddenly realised something. Snape gave him a questioning look, brows slightly furrowed. Harry grinned maliciously.

'What ?!' snape croaked anxiously, frowning a bit more.

'Was this... Was this your first kiss ?' Harry asked, trying not to sound too cheered.

The older wizard totally lost his composure and blushed violently. Harry repressed a giggle when he felt his pulse double its pace in his hand.

'I, er... yes' he stuttered, bright red. 'What about you ?' he added quickly, not wanting to talk too much about his own lack of experience.

'Oh, uh, I've had girlfriends. Although this was the first time I was kissed by a man' he smiled. 'It's different, but not for one second less enjoyable' he added, as Severus still looked rather alarmed.

'You're just being nice to me' he managed to say between two furious heartbeats.

As an answer, Harry simply pulled him closer for another kiss, burying his fingers in his jet-black hair.

When they parted again, the older wizard seemed to have regained some self-confidence. His cheeks were still a little pink, but so were Harry's now. They stared at each other for some time, not really knowing what to say or do next. This _upgrade_ in their relationship was not unpleasant, just a little awkward. Were they boyfriends now ? The idea felt strange to both of them. And _ohmygod_, Harry would definitely hear about it from the twins. He was just hoping they would keep their word and hold their tongues.

'What should we do, now ?' Snape asked. 'I mean, uh... This changes everything, doesn't it ?'

'Does it really ?' Harry said, more to himself than as a proper question. 'It just feels to me like a quite logical step... If we have feelings towards each other, I don't see why we shouldn't express them'.

'You're right.' Snape said. He suddenly blushed again and finally added on a very nervous tone 'But, huh... You realise I've never... Ugh...'

'… had sex ?' Harry smiled, amused.

'…'

'We just kissed for the first time. Let's take it easy, no rush. The last thing I want to do is to make you feel uncomfortable, all right ?'

'o-okay' The slender wizard replied, nervously biting his lip.


	11. Chapter 11

_**Hi guys ! I know it's been a long time since the last update, sorry about that. I have lots of chapters ready to be typed so don't worry.**_

_**I received a comment about someone thinking it was an AU, and who was a little disappointed I didn't war you but no, don't worry, it isn't. She was confused by my use of the expression 'another timeline'. Let me clarify. I borrowed those words from Doctor Who, and I use them simply to express that things have changed, compared to what should have happened (as they happened in the book). It doesn't mean I'm going to change everything or that Harry ended up in a parallel universe, just that things are a bit disturbed from how they might have been. But I really like the challenge of playing around canon events and building the story with this boundary in mind. So don't worry, I'm sticking to the books :)**_

_**Thanks for reading me, it means a lot (I konw, I repeat myself al LOT, but that's incredible how many of you actually read this, I genuinely can't believe it !), and as always, feel free to comment, positive AND negative feedbacks are appreciated. Also, sorry for the shortness of this chapter, I promis I won't make you wait too long for the next one.**_

* * *

_Here's a little reminder of the past chapters._

_After the war, Harry decides to go back in time to be friends with Snape, as he didn't have the chance before and regrets it. He borrows the time-turner from McGonnagall and goes back to 1992 (his 2__nd__ year at Hogwarts)._

_The first few week are a bit weird, but he ends up being friends with Snape, and lives with him, hidden in the dungeons. Unfortunately, as the Weasley twins posess the Marauder's map, they discover him, so he has to reveal everything._

_He also starts (again!) to learn Legilimency, with Snape as a teacher, and thankfully does much better than in his previous attempts, and manages to be able to roughly communicate feelings through his mind._

_Eventually, his feelings for Snape grow into something more, and they end up sharing a kiss._

* * *

Soon, the end of term was there, and the students left the castle. It was very new for Harry to be in such silence in this massive place.

Now that the corridors were deserted, he could walk about freely, still cloaked just in case he stumbled across Filch or one of the busy house-eleves already cleaning and preparing everything for the year to come.

Harry had decided to write regularly to the twins. Not that he was really happy that they knew about his relationship with Severus, but he couldn't lie to them anymore, since they still had the Marauder's map. Besides, it was nice to have someone else to talk to. He did love to spend time with Severus, but living in the dungeons and reamaining constantly hidden could be quite depressing at times, and he needed other people to talk to if he didn't want to lose his sanity.

And there was still the problem of the said map. The younger Harry would own it very soon, and if he were to discover another occurrence of himself on it, it would break the n°1 rule that came with time-travel. Moreover, this was also going to be the year when Hermione would be given the time-turner by Mrs. McGonnagall, and Harry could absolutely _not_ take the risk to be so many times at the same place. He didn't even know if time itself was ready to allow that.

Plus the fact that Lupin would be regularly visiting Snape for his potions, and running around in the Forbiden Forest at full moon.

No, Harry could definitely not stay in or even near the castle next year. And with Sirius's escape and all the Dementors and Aurors chasing him, the outside wizarding world would be equally dangerous. The only place Harry could think of was the Muggle world. No-one would find him there. Living as a homeless was off the table, though. Being on the run for almost a year had been enough, thank you very much. More importantly, Muggles were not really fond of homeless people, and it would most certainly draw attention, and that was exactly what he was willing to avoid.

The main problem was that he didn't have many acquaintances in the Muggle world, apart from the Dursleys, and something was telling him they would not be very keen to welcome him in their home. He had never had any friends either, before going to Hogwarts, and even if he had, he couldn't break the Wizarding Secrecy law.

He finally came up with an idea. A crazy idea, but it might very well work.

He wrote a short letter, briefly explaining the situation and asking if he could seek refuge for the year to come. But before sending the letter, he had something very important to do. He had to tell Severus, and also... _Dumbledore._

* * *

'You are going to do WHAT ?! ' Snape choked when Harry explained his plan to him.

'Look, lots of things are going to happen this year, and the Wizarding world will be way too dangerous for me. The Muggle World is the only place in which I will be safe, and Miss Figg is the only person apart from my aunt and uncle that I know there. Besides, she's a Squib, so she will be able to understand the situation.'

'But... This woman, are you really sure you can trust her?'

'I'd trust her with my life. Well, in fact, I already have. Anyway, there's still a _tiny_ problem. She's working for Dumbledore.'

'And you call that a _tiny_ problem ?!' Snape said, bewildered. 'You can't expect her not to tell him !'

'Exactly. That's why I have to tell Dumbledore first.'

Snape sighed loudly, rolling his eyes and shaking his head in disapproval.

'I know, this is all beginning to be a little more complicated than I expected' Harry admitted.

'Indeed. You have to be really careful about the people that get involved with this. Especially when the Dark Lord will come back...'

Harry shivered at the name. I was always a bit hard for him to remember that his friend had served alongside the Death Eaters, and would be doing it again in a few years. Not that it frightened him, as he knew he could trust Severus, but it painfully reminded him of all the self-sacrifices he had done and would have to make just to protect Harry. At this thought, the young man curled up against his friend's chest and softly kissed him on the jaw.

'What was that for ?' The older wizard asked, surprised, gently wrapping his arms around him.

As an answer, Harry simply invited him into his mind, sharing his feelings of worry and remorse. The slender wizard tightened his embrace and kissed him on the forehead. 'Don't worry about me' he whispered.


	12. Chapter 12

Both Harry and Snape were very nevous when Dumbledore passed the door of the potions' Master office. They had spent hours trying to figure out what and how they would tell him about Harry's presence from the future, but eventually gave up when they realised there was no way to make it sound casual. The only thing they had managed to decide was not to reveal the exact nature of their relationship. It was already new and rather strange for them, they didn't need anyone else to be involved, especially the nosy headmaster. Snape had then summoned him for an important matter without giving further details, and there he was.

The old wizard froze when he saw Harry. He raised an eyebrow, giving them a questioning look.

'Please, Headmaster, have a seat' Snape politely said, waving at an empty armchair. 'I guess it needs an explanation' he added when Dumbledore sat, still glancing at them incredulously.

'Indeed' he replied on his usual calm tone.

'Well, uh, Harry...' Snape started, having no bloody clue on how to end his sentence.

'Don't worry, Severus, I'll explain' Harry said, kindly brushing his friend's arm as matter of comfort. Neither of them noticed the brief flicker in Albus' eye at this little act of affection.

'Well, Professor...' Harry began 'as you can see, I'm not the twelve years old Harry you're used to see around the school'.

'Indeed.' The wizard repeated.

'I'm from the future. I will turn nineteen next month'.

'I guess you used a time-turner ? It must have been quite a long process.' Dumbledore said with a friendly smile.

'Yes, it was. And I've been here for almost a year, now'.

'I'm surprised – not to say a little disappointed – that you managed to hide that from me, Severus' Dumbledore said, turning towards the potions' Master. 'Why did you decide to tell me ? I was not suspecting anything '.

'Because I can't stay here next year' Harry replied. He paused. He knew he was not supposed to reveal anything that did not happen yet, but he also knew that although Dumbledore was a very patient man, he would not just accept the situation without some more information.

'There's going to be Dementors and Aurors everywhere, including near Hogwarts, and... The younger me will obtain something that might reveal to him that 'another himself' is in the castle, so... I can't remain here, nor can I hide in the Wizarding world'.

'You shouldn't have come in the first place, Harry' the old wizard replied, his voice and his features hardening a little.

'I'm not asking anything from you' the young man resumed, 'But I've came up with an idea and I thought you might prefer to hear about it from me beforehand, instead of accidentally finding out'.

'A wise choice' Dumbledore nodded.

'I intend to stay at Miss Figg's.'

The old wizard joined his fingers before his mouth and rested his chin on his thumbs, thinking. After an awkward silence that felt like hours, he finally spoke.

'This might actually be a good idea. I hope I don't need to remind you that you will have to be really careful not to be seen by anyone who may know you. Do you still have your invisibility cloak ?'

Harry nodded.

'Very well' Dumbledore responded, rising from his chair.

The young man sighed, relieved.

'Before I go, I have one last question' Dumbledore said, his eyes maliciously sparkling, caressing his beard with his slender hand.

'Of course' Harry replied with a smile.

'Why did you come back ?'

'There were... things I needed to fix' the young man answered. As he spoke, he couldn't repress a quick glance towards Snape and cursed himself for his treacherous body language. He felt his blood race when his former Headmaster smiled widely at them, simply adding 'I see' before leaving.

When the door closed behind him, the two men looked at each other, anxiety on their faces.

'Am I just being paranoid, or...' Harry started

Snape simply shrugged, confused.

At least it was another weight off their shoulders.


End file.
